23 EU Member Nations Sign Defense Pact

European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, center, poses with EU foreign and defense ministers after signing the notification on Permanent Structure Cooperation (PESCO) on the margin of a foreign affairs council at the Europa building in Brussels, Monday, Nov. 13, 2017. (Emmanuel Dunand, Pool Photo via AP

November 13, 2017

OAN Newsroom

France and Germany are one step closer to achieving a decades old goal of integrating European defenses.

On Monday, the two nations signed a defense pact with 21 other EU member states.

The pact will require each country to provide support and funding for joint defense operations as well necessary projects.

Under the pact, nations will provide personnel, training, and other forms of support for EU military missions.

Back in June, the EU announced the creation of a joint defense fund which will receive $8.7 billion annually.

“I will expect the next Foreign Affairs Council to adopt this formal decision, so that we will be able to launch for the first time ever a European Defense Permanent Structured Cooperation with concrete projects, announced EU Foreign Policy Chief Frederica Mogherini. “Member States have presented already more than 50 concrete projects both in the field of capabilities and in the field of operations.”

This new EU commitment comes as President Trump continues to pressure Europe to increase its defense funding in order to combat the rising threat of global terrorism.